Global warming is a serious issue. If Earth’s temperature climbs too suddenly, then its ice sheets will melt at an accelerated rate, causing major issues for us.
There’s already far too many people in this world for it to sustain, and there’s a possibility that we’ll end up with even less room if things continue as they are. No matter what you think of global warming or climate change, ice sheets are melting at a rapid pace. With recent highest temperatures to date, it may well speed up even further in decades to come.
Earth’s ice is melting at a rapid rate. (Image: Wikipedia)
There’s isn’t a 100% accurate depiction of how Earth would settle if all ice caps were to melt, but scientists think they have a pretty good idea. It’s an extreme scenario, but it’s a possibility in our near future. If every single bit of ice on earth melted then our sea levels would rise a whopping 216 feet, as demonstrated in the video below.
As you can see, there’d be a lot less dry land for us to settle with. Many coastal cities would be completely submerged, or in Florida’s case, the entire state. Of course, this would take thousands of years to get so far. It doesn’t mean to say that preserving our planet isn’t important though. If we want to continue as a species, then protecting our home world is vital. The only alternative is space travel (which is a whole different story in itself).
Melting ice caps also means fewer homes for wild life too. (Image: WWF)
It’s not just nature itself that could destroy us in this situation either. What happens when East Russia’s now fertile soils are needed by a dry infertile China to feed its people? Arguments and potential destructive conflict would be at stake as developing countries get more and more desperate to survive. These dilemmas need serious consideration, as our future generations will be the ones dealing with them.
Source: Forbes